Black Indy LIVE – defense Attorney Outlines Strategy in Shooting Death of Cleaning Worker
A recently released public statement from defense attorney Guy Relford is providing the first detailed insight into the legal defense of 56-year-old Curt Andersen in the shooting death of 34-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez.
Relford, representing Andersen, intends to argue that Andersen was legally justified in using deadly force against Perez de Velasquez inside his Boone County home. The defense will center on the claim that Andersen “reasonably believed” Perez was unlawfully entering his residence, and that deadly force was “fully justified” under Indiana’s Castle Doctrine - the state’s stand-your-ground law.
The case gained widespread attention online after it emerged that Perez de Velasquez was unarmed,employed as a cleaning worker,and reportedly known to Andersen through the cleaning company.
Relford’s statement asserts that Andersen’s actions are being unfairly scrutinized based on facts unavailable to him at the time of the shooting, and that the jury should focus solely on what Andersen believed at the moment, rather then subsequent police findings.
The Boone County Prosecutor has charged Andersen with involuntary manslaughter, a decision met with meaningful public outcry from community members who feel the charge is insufficient given the circumstances of Perez de Velasquez’s death while performing her job.
the case has garnered national attention as prosecutors prepare to present their argument against the applicability of the Castle Doctrine. A press conference is anticipated, and the trial is expected to be a closely followed legal event in Indiana.
